Association of Community & Continuing Education (ACCE)
Our online presence:
  • Home
  • About
    • Officers
    • ACCE By-Laws
    • ACCE Tweets
  • Blog
  • Membership
  • Events
  • Archives
    • ACCE Journal
    • Past Presentations
    • First Fridays
    • Templates
    • Legislative Updates
  • Links
  • Dues & Conference Fees

PRESS RELEASE: California Community Colleges Reaffirm Values of Inclusiveness and Diversity Following Presidential Election

11/14/2016

0 Comments

 
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As student government leaders from around the state gather in Sacramento for their general assembly, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office on Thursday reminded students, including undocumented students, that financial aid remains available for them to pursue their educational goals.

“While the presidential election has been divisive and has sparked anxiety and uncertainty on our campuses, we will always embrace the values of inclusion and diversity and support all students who want to build better lives for themselves and their communities,” said Interim Chancellor Erik E. Skinner. “No student should forgo the opportunity to apply for financial assistance at our colleges.”

In California, in-state enrollment fees and state financial aid -- including fee waivers, Cal Grant and privately funded institutional scholarships -- are available to certain undocumented students, or Dreamers. These benefits are protected by California law, and more information can be found by clicking on the “Dream Act” link at icanaffordcollege.com.

Skinner also noted that community college financial aid and student services professionals are available to support undocumented students, and several colleges have on-campus Dream Centers.

“We look forward to joining the leaders of the Student Senate for the California Community Colleges this weekend to reaffirm our commitment that our colleges are welcoming and supportive for students of all backgrounds,” said Skinner, who added that the community college system will continue to work closely with the University of California and California State University systems on supporting all students.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/, https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges, or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges.
0 Comments

Eloy Ortiz Oakley named Chancellor of California Community Colleges

7/20/2016

8 Comments

 
Picture
The California Community Colleges Board of Governors today announced the unanimous selection of Long Beach Community College District Superintendent-President Eloy Ortiz Oakley, a nationally known innovator in public education, as the next chancellor to lead the largest and most diverse system of public higher education in the nation.
 
“Today the Board of Governors continues the tradition of selecting great chancellors to lead the California Community Colleges,’’ said Board President Geoffrey L. Baum. “Eloy Ortiz Oakley is an innovative and tested leader who understands how to operate successfully in a large, complex system of public higher education. In Oakley we see a change agent – someone whose relentless focus on student success will help more students obtain certificates and degrees or transfer to four-year institutions on time. As a member of the UC Board of Regents and with his close ties with California State University, he is well positioned to foster greater collaboration that will benefit all students.”
 
Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. said, “Eloy Oakley knows California’s community colleges inside and out and has served at every level in the system – from teaching in the classroom to running a campus as superintendent. California’s 113 community colleges – and the 2.1 million students they serve – are in good hands.”
​
Oakley was named superintendent-president of the Long Beach Community College District (LBCCD) in 2007. During his tenure, Oakley helped form the nationally recognized Long Beach College Promise, which engages high school administrators and teachers to work with college faculty and staff to create structured pathways for students to follow as they progress from one educational institution to the next. Long Beach College Promise students are guaranteed a tuition-free year at Long Beach City College and preferred admission status to California State University, Long Beach after completing transfer requirements. The Long Beach College Promise has inspired similar programs across the country. America’s College Promise, an initiative introduced by President Barack Obama in 2015, was modeled in part on the Long Beach College Promise.
 
“The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges has made a spectacular choice,’’ said Ted Mitchell, under secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. “Eloy Oakley is a proven leader of national stature.  He has been a valued partner in the President’s effort to provide free community college to qualified students.  I look forward to working with him in his new role.”
 
"As a California native and a product of a California community college, I am honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the nation,” Oakley said. “I wish to thank the Board of Governors, Governor Brown and the people of California for expressing their faith in me. I recognize that I would not have this opportunity but for the amazing faculty and staff that make up our community college system. As chancellor I look forward to working with our 113 colleges, public education advocates, civil rights organizations, education policy experts and business and civic leaders to better serve our students and to create value for our great state."
 
While at LBCCD, Oakley also helped establish Promise Pathways, a program that uses high school performance grades and transcripts to ensure students are placed in appropriate class levels. Promise Pathways also uses improved advising and enrollment practices to help students select the right classes to maximize their success.

To jumpstart the region’s economy, Oakley partnered with Goldman Sachs to launch the 10,000 Small Businesses Program to help small businesses grow and create jobs.  This successful endeavor has taught more than 600 local business owners how to expand operations, increase profits and create more jobs in the region. 

“No one is as uniquely qualified and prepared to deal with contemporary issues facing our community colleges today as Eloy Oakley,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). “As a member of the AACC board of directors, I have seen first-hand his passion for the mission of the community colleges as well as a great understanding of the politics and policies that govern our institutions.  I look forward to working with Eloy in this new role.”  
 
Oakley, who will become the first Latino to lead the California Community Colleges, is himself a community college success story.  After serving four years in the U.S. Army, he enrolled at Golden West College.  He then transferred to the University of California, Irvine where he received his degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Analysis and Design and Master of Business Administration.  

Oakley joined LBCCD in 2002, serving as the assistant superintendent/executive vice president of administrative services. Previously, he served as the vice president of college services at Oxnard College; the assistant vice president of the Property & Casualty Division of Keenan & Associates and the manager of risk services at the Coast Community College District. Oakley also served as an adjunct faculty member for the Environmental Technology Certificate Program at Golden West College.  
 
In 2014, Gov. Brown appointed Oakley to the University of California Board of Regents.
 
“I’ve enjoyed working with Eloy on UC’s Board of Regents where he has distinguished himself by always asking the right questions and his unwavering commitment to expanding access to higher education in California,” said University of California President Janet Napolitano. “As chancellor of the California Community Colleges, I know he’ll continue to do so. I look forward to working with him, especially on further improving the pathway to UC for California transfer students.”
 
“Eloy is an outstanding leader and partner in California public higher education,” said Timothy P. White, chancellor of California State University. He has dedicated himself to building pathways for students from K-12 to a college degree, university degree and beyond. Eloy challenges and empowers all of us to think deeply about higher education’s role in our society and act accordingly. He understands the needs of California’s communities and is dedicated to our shared success.” 
 
Oakley serves on the boards and committees of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the California Forward Leadership Council, the College Futures Foundation, the American Association of Community Colleges, the YMCA of Greater Long Beach and the Long Beach Rotary Club.  He also sits on the advisory board for the California State University, Long Beach Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership.
 
Oakley will begin his duties on Dec. 19, 2016 and replaces Chancellor Brice W. Harris, who retired in April after leading the community college system for nearly four years. Erik E. Skinner will continue to serve as interim chancellor until Oakley takes office.
 
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/,https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges, or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges.

For questions regarding this announcement, please contact Paul Feist at pfeist@cccco.edu, or download the full release at CCCCO.EDU.

8 Comments

California Community Colleges Board of Governors Unanimously Appoints Erik Skinner as Acting Chancellor 

3/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Per the press release from the California Community College Chancellor's Office, Erik Skinner has been named Acting Chancellor. The full announcement may be found below.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Community Colleges Board of Governors today appointed Deputy Chancellor Erik Skinner as acting chancellor for the California Community Colleges beginning April 2. Skinner will temporarily replace Chancellor Brice W. Harris who will retire after 45 years in public service. In a separate action, the board also awarded Harris with the honorary title of Chancellor Emeritus of the California Community Colleges.
 
"Erik Skinner brings valuable knowledge, skill and proven experience to the role of acting chancellor," said California Community Colleges Board of Governors President Geoffrey L. Baum. "He is a respected leader and the Board of Governors is confident in his ability to guide the California Community Colleges and Chancellor's Office during this transition." 

Skinner was promoted in 2013 to serve as deputy vice chancellor for the Chancellor's Office. He oversees and coordinates the efforts of the following divisions: Academic Affairs; Student Services and Special Programs; Economic Development and Workforce Preparation; and College Finance and Facilities Planning. He served as executive vice chancellor from 2010 until his promotion, and was previously acting chancellor in 2012 before Chancellor Harris was tapped for the role. 

Skinner joined the Chancellor's Office in 2007, when he was appointed vice chancellor for College Finance and Facilities Planning. He represented the community college system in the state budget process, advocating for additional resources to support the state's community college districts and colleges. In addition, Skinner oversaw the system's budget and accounting processes; apportionment of state and federal resources to local community college districts; and assistance to community college districts for fiscal and business operations. 
  
The Board of Governors is currently engaged in a national search for a permanent new chancellor for California Community Colleges. The board plans to have the new chancellor in place by the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year, according to Baum.   

Chancellor Harris will return to retirement after more than four decades in higher education. Prior to being selected as chancellor of the California Community Colleges, he retired in 2012 after 16 years as chancellor of the Los Rios Community College District, the longest serving chancellor in the district's history. He was also president of Fresno City College and a faculty member and vice chancellor in the Metropolitan Community College system in Kansas City, Mo. 

"Brice Harris has been an extraordinary leader for California Community Colleges," said President Baum. "He has devoted his career to improving student success and access, both in California and across the country. The progress he has made during his tenure in the Chancellor's Office has advanced our system tremendously and made the California Community Colleges the most transparent and accountable system of higher education in the country. We are deeply grateful for his service and are pleased to bestow the title of 'Chancellor Emeritus' in appreciation for his unwavering commitment and dedication to our state's higher education system." 
  
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor's Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/, https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges, or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges.
0 Comments

Debra Connick Named New Vice Chancellor

2/17/2016

0 Comments

 
The California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office filled a key position with the addition of Debra Connick to the role of Chief Information Officer and Vice Chancellor of Technology, Research and Information Systems. See the full press release below.
Picture
For more information about the California Community Colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/
0 Comments

    Blog Archive

    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    ACCE Conference
    ACCE President
    Adult Education
    AEBG
    CCCCO
    Chancellor's Office
    Community Education
    Continuing Education
    Governor's Budget
    Technology

    RSS Feed

© COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.